You Can't Stop Love
by mistress-imagine
Summary: Eli and Clare like each other, but are too much in thought of what each thinks that they don't realize it. A simple enligh assignment can change all of that pretty fast.


**Author's Note: I'm back! I've been so busy with school and trying to figure stuff out with my life that I haven't been able to write anything for a month. My second fanfic. One-shot…maybe…unless you guys want me to make a sequel. Tell me what you think. I do not own Degrassi. Enjoy! = )**

Clare sat in her bedroom staring out the window. She couldn't help it that Eli was always on her mind. He was the one that she suddenly felt so close to, closer than anyone else, other than Darcy.

Always wondering what he thought of her, though she wasn't afraid to ask, she was afraid of how he would react. Would he feel the same way? Would he think of her as only a friend? Or maybe he didn't like her at all. Clare knew that she couldn't hide behind her shell all the time, she really wanted to just come out and show everyone that she really isn't the innocent one all the time like everybody thinks.

How did he come into her life like this and change everything? She was a different person after meeting Eli, in her perspective anyways.

Clare's thoughts were interrupted by a _bing _from her laptop. As usual it was from Eli. They had been talking a lot lately.

**Eli-gold49: Why have I been seeing you up so late lately?**

**Clare-e23: I don't know. I guess it's because I just have a lot on my mind right now.**

**Eli-gold49: Like….?**

**Clare-e23: Classic Eli. Always wondering what's going on with people.**

**Eli-gold49: Well, I might be able to tell a little bit better what is on your mind if I were there, but right now I'm pretty sure I'm on you mind. Am I right?**

Clare couldn't help but giggle slightly at that comment. Eli really was on her mind.

**Clare-e23: Yep. You're right. You really are on my mind **_**all **_**the time. **

**Eli-gold49: I knew I was. And you want to something? I'm always thinking about you too. Goodnight Clare.**

**Clare-e23: Goodnight, Elijah.**

With that said, Clare logged out and sat in the windowsill, just staring out.

Eli was wondering what to do next. He liked Clare but didn't know how to show it. Every time he's with her, he has to hold back the urge to just take her in his arms and kiss her. Always wondering what she thinks of him.

All he could do right now is wait. Wait until something happens. Something where he can show her how much he likes her.

The next day in English class, Ms. Dawes was talking about the most recent assignment and how impressed she was with them.

"And for out next assignment, you will each write something about you partner. How you think of them to be more exact." She said.

Everybody looked nervously around at their English partners. Everybody knew this was going to be something different.

"If you're uncomfortable with this one, you can always do the extra credit along with it. Your extra credit this time is your point of view on love. That is all I have to say now so get to work."

Clare and Eli both had the same thing running through their heads: Now I'll know what they think of me. It was the perfect chance to tell each other how they felt, though neither knew it at that moment.

Eli turned around to face Clare. "So, our feelings on each other. This is going to be so fun Edwards." He said with a smirk.

"Yeah, so…umm do you want to go somewhere after school and work?" Clare asked, a little shyly. She knew it wasn't a group project but she just wanted to be with him.

"Sure. Meet me outside by Morty."

"Great."

It was almost the end of class so everybody in the room mainly just talked. Clare kept changing her writing because she didn't know how to put her feelings into words. It was just like a big mess in front of her but she couldn't get it out.

When the final bell rang, both Clare and Eli raced to make it to Morty. Eli made it there first with Clare about two minutes behind him.

"So, where are we going to go?" Clare asked as she walked up to him.

"The Dot? There's usually not a lot of people there on Wednesdays because everybody has some sport practice."

Clare agreed and got into Eli's strange car. She had never really been inside one before. Eli casually got in and turned the key. He could notice Clare's nervousness, but decided not to say anything to embarrass her, even though he loved getting under her skin.

"So what do you know about love?" Clare suddenly said. They were inside The Dot, which had very few people.

"Well, to me love is something you just know when it happens. It's unexplainable." Eli stared at the paper in front of him.

"But Ms. Dawes said we actually have to explain it."

"Yeah, but she never said we had to. It was an option for extra credit if we didn't want to do this assignment."

Clare sat in silence and kept scribbling out the words in her writing. Eli looked at quite confused a couple of times but she never noticed.

"Clare?" he asked as he put down in pen.

She didn't answer, like she was off in another dimension.

"Clare? Are you still with me here?" he teased.

She looked up from her paper. "Sorry, what?"

"Nothing you just looked so frustrated with what you're writing there." Eli nodded towards the paper in front of Clare.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I just can't get the words through my head." She stared out the window, while Eli carefully examined her. Trying to read what she was thinking by her movements.

"So, how's your paper going Goldsworthy, since it seems like you haven't been writing a whole lot there."

"Oh, it's going alright." His usual smirk was back.

"Really, then why don't you let me see it?" Clare tried to grab the paper from his hands.

"You want to read it, huh? Well I guess you're going to have to work for it." Eli jumped out of his seat and ran towards the door.

"Eli!" Clare screeched as she grabbed her stuff and ran after him.

Once she got out the door, Eli wasn't even there. _If he jumps out from behind something to scare me, I'm going to kill him. _She thought.

Eli wasn't running anymore, he had stopped when he got behind the Dot. He had hoped to tell her how he felt about her there. Somewhere alone, where no one else was would be the perfect way, now he just had to find the words.

Clare couldn't find Eli anywhere in front of the Dot so she walked behind and found Eli pacing back and forth not knowing she was there. She could hear him muttering to himself but couldn't make out exactly what he was saying.

"Uh, Eli? Are you okay?" Clare asked, walking out from behind the corner.

"…Yeah." Eli mumbled.

"Usually I would believe that, but this isn't like you. Seriously, what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, Clare, I promise you that, but I really just can't find the words to say right now."

"Words to say about what?"

Eli stopped pacing and faced Clare. "The words to say…how I feel about you." He looked at the ground and put his hands in his pockets.

Clare was speechless at this point but knew she had to say something otherwise Eli might think she didn't feel the same way back.

Clare felt the corners of her mouth rise up as an idea came into her head. "And those feelings would be…?"

"Well, I guess the easiest way to say it is this." He walked up to Clare who didn't move an inch, and pulled her into a kiss. She seemed a bit hesitant at first but kissed him back.

"Wow," She breathed as they pulled away. "And I thought that Elijah Goldsworthy never got nervous."

"Whoa, who said I'm nervous?"

"Uhm, like five seconds before you just kissed me. Come on Eli, you know you were." Clare teased as she lightly pushed his shoulder.

"Okay, fine. I was a little nervous, but only because I didn't know how you felt about me."

"Really, because I never thought that someone like you would even think about me. I was always afraid to ask you if you liked me because I was afraid of your response."

Something that was all fun and games a few minutes ago was now a confession of each other's feelings for one another.

"So, what now? We just both figured something new out today."

Clare gave him a confused look.

"That we both like each other." Eli smirked.

"Oh, right. So, now that I caught you, do I get to read your English paper?"

"Umm…I don't think so. Its kind of in pieces now."

"You tore up your English paper? Why in the world would you do that?"

"Because I couldn't put my feeling into words. Showing it was easier." He pulled her into another kiss.

Eli managed to back Clare up against the stone wall a few feet away from them. He deepened the kiss with all the passion he could. She returned it as their tongues battled for dominance. Eli seemed to be winning. Clare's hands were tangled up in Eli's dark hair, while his own were moving from her back, to her sides, to her hips, and over again. When oxygen became an issue, they parted, gasping for air before going back in for more.

They stood there against the wall for about 30 minutes, just kissing.

"Wow, I can't believe this is even happening." Eli said as he pulled away.

"Me either, I mean, we just found out today that we both like each other and…" her voice trailed off in an expression of deep thought.

"What?"

"Eli, remember what you said about love?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, it's just that we keep saying we _like _each other, but that's not exactly what I think right now."

"Then what exactly _are _you thinking right now?"

Clare hesitated, "I think…I think I love you, Eli." All she could do was stare deep into in amazingly beautiful green eyes. "You said that love is something you can't explain. Then why can't I explain my feelings for you in words? You said it's something you just know when it happens. Well, I know now that this…us…this thing between us. Its love, Eli. I can't stop thinking about you-" She was cut off by Eli's lips against her own. She thought it was his way of telling her that he loved her too. She moaned softly in her throat earning a smile from Eli. They parted, both smiling like idiots.

"I don't think I love you, Clare, I know I love you." With that, he kissed her again, this time with more emotion than ever before. It was the only way they could really express their feeling for each other.

The night turned on then when it started to rain lightly but turned into a downpour within minutes. They reached Eli's hearse and drove away to a park close by. It was completely deserted.

"You know, Clare, I've never really been this close to anyone else before." Eli finally said to break the silence.

"Me either, it feels right." Clare smiled and reached over for Eli's hand. They interlaced fingers and watched the rain and the sun set in the horizon. "I guess everything really does happen for a reason."

Eli just chuckled and moved closer to Clare. He kissed her forehead telling her he loved her one more time before the new couple fell asleep in each other's arms.

**Author's Note: AWWW. I love this. Some of this I can relate to because its what I'm feeling right now for a certain guy. (sigh) Hehe, okay, here are some questions:**

**1. Did you like Eli's sweet/ nervous side?**

**2. Do you think I should make a sequel? **

**3. Did you like the overall story?**

**Tell me in your reviews.**

**~Always, Sno**


End file.
